Chickpea fritters with Tzatziki

WW 4.5pt

serves 4

prep: 15mins

cooking: 10 mins

1 x 40g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup skim milk
3/4 cup self raising flour
1 tsp ground cumin
1 cup frozen corn kernels
4 green shallots, trimmed, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbs fresh flat leaf parsley
1 x 125g tub low fat tzatziki


Pulse chickpeas in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Add eggs and pulse, continuing to add milk, flour and cumin while pulsing. 
Fold in corn, shallots, garlic and parsley.
Lightly spray a large non-stick fry pan with oil and heat over medium-high heat. Using 1/4 cup mixture for each fritter, form 4 fritters in the pan. Cook for 2-3 mins  each side or until golden, risen and cooked through. 
Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining mix to make 12 fritters.


Serve warm or cold with salad and tzatziki

Pear Crumble Cupcakes

120g butter - or spread, or whatever it is you use ;)
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
1 2/3 Self Raising flour
1/2 cup buttermilk
400 can halved pears, drained and chopped
1/2 cups Weight Watchers Berry Flakes Breakfast Cereal.


1. Preheat oven to 18o C or 160C fan forced. Line a 12 hole (1/2 cup) capacity muffin tin with paper cases.


2. Using an electric mixer, beat 100g of the spread, 2/3 cup of the sugar and the essence in a large bowl for 5 mins or until light and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.


3. Fold in 1 1/2 cups of the flour and butter milk into the egg mixture, 2 tbs at a time, alternating between the flour and buttermilk. Continue until all the flour and buttermilk has been added. Gently fold through the pears until just combined.


4. To make the crumble topping, combine the berry flakes with remaining spread, sugar and flour in a medium bowl.


5. Spoon cupcake mixture into the prepared muffin cases and sprinkle with crumble topping, lightly pressing crumble into cupcakes. Bake for 30 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.


6. Stand in tin for 5 mins before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Caramel-filled Chocolate Cakes

Melted butter, for greasing
plain flour, for dusting
200g dark cooking chocolate, chopped
200g butter, chopped
4 eggs, separated
200g sugar
1 cup SR flour
12 soft caramel lollies


1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Brush 12 standard muffin tins with butter and dust with flour.


2. Put chocolate and butter into a medium heavy-based pan and stir over low heat until chocolate and butter are melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Stand until lukewarm.


3. Beat eggwhites until soft peaks form. Beat egg yolks with sugar until pale and creamy. Carefully stir into chocolate mixture. Fold in eggwhite. Sift over flour and fold in carefully.


4. Divide half the mixture between muffin holes, add a caramel to each and cover with remaining mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and stand on a wire rack to cool.

Quiche #1

4 eggs
2 tsp butter, melted
2/3 cup  milk
4 tbsp SR flour
3 slices lean ham, diced
1 onion, diced
1 cup cheese, grated
1 medium tomato, sliced
1 tin corn


Combine egg, butter, flour and milk. Mix well in an oven proof dish.


Add ham, onion, 1/2 cheese and corn. 


Top with tomato and 1/2 cheese. Bake for 30 mins at 180C (fan forced) or until set.






I add other items to this too. I also add grated carrot and mushrooms, amongst others.

Ginger Nuts

2 cups Self Raising flour
1 cup caster sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
125g butter
1 egg
1tbsp golden syrup


Sift together flour, sugar, cinnamon and ginger into a bowl.


Rub in softened butter with fingers until it resembles bread crumbs.


Melt syrup and mix together with the egg.


Add to mixture and work with hands into a firm dough.


Roll into balls, about 1 inch (2.5cm) round and place about 2 inches apart (5cm) on a greased tray and place into a 160C conventional oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Home Made Muesli Bars

125g margarine
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tbsp honey
1 1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup self raising flour
1/2 cup sweetened, dried cranberries
1/2 cup coarsley chopped pitted dried dates
1/2 cup sultanas
 1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
2 tbsp sesame seeds




Preheat oven to 180C  (160C fan forced). Grease a 28 x 18cm (base measurements) slice pan and line the base and two long sides with one piece of baking paper.


Stir in margarine, sugar and hone in a medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Stir in remaining ingredients.


Press the mixture  into the pan and smooth the surface. Bake for about 35 minutes or until golden. Cool in the pan. Cut into bars.


Not suitable to freeze. Will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Double Chocolate Muffins

WW 2.5

makes 18

1 2/3 cups Self Raising flour

1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda

1/4 cup cocoa powder

3/4 cup caster sugar

1/2 cup dark choc bits

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

2 x 200g tubs Nestle Diet Vanilla Yogurt

Preheat oven to 200C . Line a 18 x 1/3 cup (80 ml) capacity muffin holes with paper cases.

Sift the flour, soda and cocoa into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar and choc bits and make a well in the centre. In a separate bowl, whisk the oil, egg and yoghurt until combined. Stir into the dry ingredients until just combined (don't over mix).

Spoon mixture into paper cases. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Stand muffins in pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Coconut Fudge Squares

Coconut Fudge Squares

125 g butter spread, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 whole whole egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 1/2 tbs cocoa powder
1 cup self-raising white flour
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1 cup icing sugar
1 tbs milk

melt butter and mix in sugar. 

Add egg and beat well.

Mix in vanilla and cocoa. 

Add sifted flour alternativley with coconut. 

Spread into a lamington tin and bake 180 for 20 mins. 

Ice while hot with chocolate icing and when set, cut into squares.

This is sooo delish! When I make it, it rarely lasts long!

Classic scones with Jam and Cream

Weight watchers recipe :  WW 1.5pt


2 1/2 cup (s) self-raising white flour
2 tbs (s) caster sugar
3 tbs (s) Weight Watchers Canola Spread
1 cup (s) buttermilk
1/2 cup (s) all flavours of diet jam, (raspberry)
1/2 cup (s) low fat sour cream
2 tsp (s) powdered artificial sweetener

• Preheat oven to 210°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
• Combine flour, sugar and spread in a large bowl. Using fingertips, rub spread into flour until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Alternatively, place in a food processor and process until you have a breadcrumb consistency. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Make a well in centre of mixture. Add buttermilk and stir using a flat bladed butter knife until dough almost comes together. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently to bring dough together.
• Roll dough until 2cm thick. Dip a 6cm round biscuit cutter into flour to prevent dough from sticking. Cut out as many scones as possible (about 9). Gently press remaining dough together. Roll out until 2.5cm thick (scones cut from second and third batches won't rise as high as those from first batch, so start with thicker dough). Cut out as many scones as possible.
• Place scones 1cm apart on prepared tray. Bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until lightly golden and hollow when tapped on top. Serve scones warm with jam.
• Meanwhile combine sour cream and sweetener in a small bowl and stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Peanut Butter Cookies

200 g butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 1/2 cup plain flour
1 cup self raising flour
200g packet scorched peanuts, roughly chopped


Preheat oven to 160C (140 fan forced) and line 2  large baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Using electric beaters, beat butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until light and creamy. Beat in peanut butter.
Sift flours over butter mixture and use a non-serrated knife to mix to to a dough. Add scorched peanuts and mix through with the knife.
Roll heaped tablespoons of dough into balls and place onto prepared trays. Flatten to about 1.5cm. Bake for mins, until lightly golden underneath - they will still be soft.
Leave on trays for 5 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

Hot Crossed Muffins

2 1/2 cups self raising flour
1 tsp mixed spice
2/3 brown sugar
1 cup milk
2 eggs
125g butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup currants
1/4 cup mixed peel
1/2 walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup white chocolate melts, melted


Preheat oven to 180C and 160C fan forced. Line 12 large muffin pans with paper cases. Sift flour, spice and brown sugar into a large mixing bow and make a well in the centre.
Whisk mil, eggs, butter and vanilla together in a jug. Pour into dry ingredients and use a rubber spatula to gently combine. Add dried fruit and nuts and gently fold through.
Divide mixture evenly between muffin pans. bake for 20 mins, until risen and golden and firm to a gentle touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Place melted chocolate in a snap locked bag and snip off one corner. Pipe a cross over each muffin and leave to set.

Choc Banana Pancakes

Need to use that squishy banana in your fruit bowl?


40g butter
1 3/4 cup Self Raising flour
1/2 cup castor sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 ripe banana
250 ml milk
100 ml water
1 egg
extra banana and ice cream for serving - if you wish ;)


Melt butter.
Combine flour, sugar, cocoa and cinnamon until evenly combined. 
Break banana into bite sized pieces and add to mixture with milk, water and egg. Combine.
Heat fry pan over medium heat. Brush pan with melted butter.
Pour 2 amounts of batter (roughly 1/4 cup each) into the pan, making sure when the batter spreads that they don't touch.
Cook for about 2 minutes, or until l bubbles appear randomly. Flip and cook for 30 seconds or until just firm.
Repeat with remaining batter. Make sure the pan does not become too hot.
Serve the pancakes with extra banana slices and/or ice cream.




Notes:
If the pan becomes too hot, the pancakes will turn very dark and burn around the edges.
These pancakes will keep in a sealed container for 2 days (if they last!), but are best eaten on the day they're made.
If the banana is over-ripe, just mash!




Chef's idea:
Strawberries can be added in place of the banana, if desired. 

Banana and Coconut Muffins

WW 3.5pt

1 cup skim milk (or whole milk if you prefer)
1 cup self-raising white flour
1 cup caster sugar
1 cup desiccated coconut
3 medium banana, mashed

Combine all ingredients. Place in cake tin (or muffin/patty cake tins for little cakes) and bake in preheated 180 oven until cooked (15mins?)

nb: Changing to whole milk changes the WW pt value.